Earth-auger.



W. L. IWAN.

EARTH AUGEE.

APPLICATION rum) 110mm, 1m. mmnwnn JAN. 20, 1914.

Patented Aug. 4, 1914.

$7 IIIIIIII/IIIIIIIIIII Z a/M1 57 UNITE il WILLIAM L. IWAN, OF SOUTH BEND, INDIANA.

' EARTH-Ariana.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 4t,

Continuation of application Serial No. 525,446, filed October 30, 1909. This application filed Novemlier 14,1912, Serial No. 731,439. Renewed January 20, 1914. Serial No. 813,281.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, WILLIAM L. IWAN, a

citizen of the United States, residing at nomical of manufacture; to so shape the bits that the earth displaced by the anger in its operation will not become lodged between the bits; to so form the cutting edges of augers of this class as to cause them to perform their functions with the minimum of power applied thereto and efl'ectually sever roots and cut through gravel encountered in the boring operation; and to so construct'the yoke-supporting head for the blades as to maintain the latter in rigid relation therewith. i

This application is a continuation of and a substitute for my application filed Octo' ber 30,1909, Serial No. 525,446.

Referring to the accompanying drawing- Figure 1 is a view in elevation of an anger constructed in accordance with my invention, the shank of the auger being partly broken away. Fig. 2 isa View similar to that of Fig. l but viewed at a right angle thereto. Fig.3 is 'a section taken at the line 3 on Fig. 1 and viewed in the direction of the arrow. Fig. i isa broken view in sectional elevation of one of the arms of the blade-supporting head and the blade secured thereto illustrating a detail of construction, the section being taken at the line 4 on Fig. 2 and viewed in the direction of the arrow. Fig. 5 is a section taken at the line 5 on Fig. land viewed in the direction of the arrow. Fig. 6 is a viewlike Fig. 1 of anaugcr, the blades of which are formed; from a single sheet of metal and constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 7 1s a section taken at the line 7on Fig. 6 and viewed in the direction of the arrow; and Fig. 8, a sectional view of an auger like that shown 1n Figs. 6

and 7 and provided with an auger-point, the section being taken longitudinally through the web connecting the blades of the auger.

Referring particularly to Figs. 1 to fi inclusive, the two longitudinallyentendin'g concavo-convex blades of the auger are represented at 9 and 10, those blades beingpreferably fastened, as by riveting, as indicated at 11, to the extremities of a yoke-shaped head 12 provided with a threaded socket 1 2 to receive the threaded end of a stem 1?, to the upper end of which latter thchandle 12, by m ans of which the operator rotates the anger, is attached. The illustrated means for securing the blades 9 and 10 to the head 12 consists in forming shoulders 13 on the outer faces of the arms 14: of the head intoengagenient with which the upper edges of the blades are riveted as illustrated, this construction serving to effectually resist the strains tending to twist the blades from the head in the use of the auger.

Each of the blades 9 and 10, which are preferably so associated with the head IQ-as to cause them to converge toward their lower ends, has a depending portion 15 and a laterally and inwardly projecting. bit 16, the bits 16. being disposed on opposite sides of the median line of the auger and extending in opposite directions and slightly down-. ward. Located centrally of the bits 16 and extending below them, is an auger-point 17 preferably formed of strip-extensions 18 .on the lower ends of the blades 9 and 10 adjacent to the bits 16 twisted together into a. spiral as represented, these extensions being pointed at their lower ends as represented at 19, and being preferably formcdin the operation of stampin the blades out of sheet metal. If desired, hese twisted extensions may be riveted togctheras represented at 20.

The blades 9 and 10 are slnirpened, by chamfering, on one edge to form the cuttingedgcs 21 and 22 on opposite edges of the respective blades, and the edges of the de pending portions 15 are likewise chamfered to form cutting-edges 23. The bits 16 are pointed as illustrated in the drawing, and the edges thereof which form a continuation of the edges 21 and 22 are chamfercd as indicated at 24k to form cutting-edges, the metal ofthcse bits being cut away adjacent to the auger-point, as indicated, to formchamfe'redged recesses 25 in the rear of thepointsof these bits.

LOO

To insure the desired clearness between the 2 depending portions 15 of the blades and the bits 16 to prevent clogging of the earth in the auger, I preferably, in the operation of stamping out the blades 9 and 10, cut away the metal of the rear edges of the bits 16, as indicated at 26, and form the cutting-edges of the portions 15 of convex shape as illustrated at 27, whereby the spaces between the depending portions 15 and the bits 16, through which the earth is discharged upward in the boring operation, are rendered suiiiciently large to permit the earth to discharge between them irrespective of the kind of earth in which the auger is operating and thus clogging and consequent impairment of the auger is prevented.

Each of the cutting-edges 21, 22, 23 and 24:, is preferably of serrated form as clearly illustrated, the crests 28 of the cutting-edges 2% thus provided being preferably deflected in a downward direction, and the crests 29 of the cutting-edge 21, 22 and 23, in a direction away from the transverse center of the auger, all as clearly indicated in the drawing, whereby the grip of the cutting-edges of the auger uponthe earth is augmented, thus rendering operation of the device positive. Another advantage arising from providing the edges of serrated form is that of rendering the auger easy of operation in working in hard ground and in ravel, in the latter case the gravel being effectively and easily dislodged as the auger penetrates the ground. This feature is also of advantage in workingin earth containing roots, as the shearing action of the bits by reason of the formation of their cutting-edges as described is .augmented to such a degree as to cause the roots to be cut when the bits move against them. Furthermore the recessing of the bits 16 in the rear of their cutting-edges, and

especially when the edges of the recesses are sharpened operates to quickly sever or twist off, without interrupting the operation of the auger, roots which are encountered inthe boring operation and enter these recesses.

The auger-point 17 serves to effectually maintain the auger centered as it penetrates the earth, and by having it of spiral form it tends to draw the auger into the earth and render its operation positive.

The provision of the blades with the downwardly and laterally-extending parts extending therefrom permits of the with drawal of the earth displaced by the auger by the simple act of lifting the auger from the hole, the earth being confined in the space between the blades.

By providing the cutting-edges of ser-.

rated form they may be maintained in good cutting condition much longer than where the edges are straight, by merely deflecting the crests of the edges, as in the case of sharpening a saw, thus rendering regrinding or filing of the edges less frequent than in the case of prior constructions, such regrinding or filing being objectionable as it usually necessitates detachment of the blades from their supporting-head.

The convexed condtion of the cuttingedges of the portions 15 not only serves the function hereinbefore referred to, but, regardless of being serrated, serves to prolong the life of the cutting-edges as compared with augers having straight cutting-edges.

In Figs. 6 and 7 I have illustrated a construction of auger like that of the preceding figures, excepting that the blades 9 and 10 thereof are formed integrally from a single sheet of metal and the auger-point is omitted. It will be noted that the features of the auger represented in Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive, and hereinbefore fully set forth, excepting as to those just noted, are also incorporated in the construction illustrated in Figs. 6 and 7, wherein they present great utility irrespective of the provision of an auger-point. If desired, however,the auger illustrated in Figs. 6 and 7 may be provided with an auger-point formed thereon or secured thereto in any desirable manner. In Fig. 8 I have shown oneway in which an auger may be thus provided, in which case the auger-point represented at 30 is shown as provided on a plate 31 fitting against the underside of the web 32 which connects the blades 9 and 12 together, and secured thereto as by rivets 33.

While I have illustrated and described certain constructions in which my invention is embodied, I do not wish to be understood as intending to limit it to its embodiment in such constructions as they may be variously altered and modified without departing from the spirit of my invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. An earth-auger having concavo-convex blades, disposed in opposite relation to each other and provided at their ends with downwardly and inwardly converging portions and above said ends with inwardly-projecting bits formed with cutting edges, and having downward extensions twisted together into a spiral auger-point.

2. An earth-auger having concavo-c'onvex blades, disposed in opposite relation to each other and provided at their ends with downwardly and inwardly converging portions, above said ends with inwardly projecting bits formed with cutting-edges, and extensions on said inwardly-projecting bits twisted together in flatwise condition, and forming a spiral auger-point extending beyond the lower ends of said inwardly-converging portions.

3. An earth auger having concavo-convex blades provided at their ends with downweirdly-projecting portions and with inwardly-projecting portions provided with bits extending in opposite directions, and extensions formed into an auger-point, said inwardly-projecting portions being recessed at the base of the inwardly-projecting bits, for the purpose set forth.

4. An earth-auger having concavo-convex blades provided at their ends with downwardly-projecting Portions and with inwardly-projecting bits having cutting surfaces on opposed edges, said inwardly-projecting portions carrying extensions formed into an auger-point, with recesses having cutting-edges formed at the base of said auger-point and said inwardly-projecting bits.

'5. An earth-auger having conca-voconvex blades provided at their ends with downwardly-projecting portions and with inwardly-projecting bits, the inwardly-projecting bit on each blade being located in advance of its downwardly-projecting portion, and the cutting-edges of said downwardly-projecting portions being convexed, for the purpose set forth.

6. An earth-auger having concavo-convex blades provided at their ends with downwardly-projecting portions and with inwardly-projecting hits, the inwardly-projecting bit on each blade being located in advance of its downwardly-projectingyportion, and the cutting-edges of said downwardly-projecting portions being convexed and the adjacent back edges of said inwardly-projecting bits being cut away, as and for the purpose set forth.

7. An earth-auger having concavo-convex blades provided at their ends with downwardly-projecting portions and with inwardly-projecting bits extending in opposite directions, and an auger-point, said inwardlyprojecting bits being recessed at their bases and adjacent to said auger-point, for the purpose set forth.

8. An earth-auger having concavo-convex blades provided at their ends with downwardly-projecting portions and with inwardly-projecting bits extending in opposite directions, and an auger-point, said inwardly-projecting bits being recessed at their bases and adjacent to said auger-point, with the edges of said recesses provided with cutting-edges, for the purpose set forth.

9. An earth-auger having concavo-convex blades provided at their ends with downwardly-projecting portions and with inwardly-projecting bits extending in opposite directions, said inwardly-pro1ecting bits being recessed at their bases, for the purpose set forth.

10. An earth-auger having concavo-eonvex blades provided at their ends with down \vardly-projecting portions and with inwardly-projecting bits extending in opposite directions, sald inwardly-pro ecting bits being recessed at their bases with the edges of said recesses provided with cutting-edges, for the purpose set forth.

11. An earth-auger having downwardly and inwardly extending concavo convex blades disposed in opposite relation to each other and having serrated cutting-edges with the crests of such serrations deflected outwardly at an angle to the body of the blades and constituting a series of cutting surfaces successively arranged at the intersection of different horizontal and longitudinal planes, whereby the lowermost of such cutting surfaces initially engage the earth and those above engage successively thereafter, whereby such surfaces operate to cut in successive concentric circles of increasing radii as the tool descends, for the purpose set forth.

WILLIAM L. IWAN.

In presence of L. Hmsnan, O. C. Avisns.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0. 

